Apparatus for depositing granular material in a well bore



Dec. 20, 1955 ABENDRQTH 2,727,575

APPARATUS FOR DEPOSITING GRANULAR MATERIAL IN A WELL BORE Filed Nov. 8, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 STEP 4 STE/ 3 STEP 2 STEP INVENTOR. Guss E Aben drofh,

Dec. 20, 1955 G. F. ABENDROTH APPARATUS FOR DEPOSITING GRANULAR MATERIAL IN A WELL BORE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 8, 1951 INVENTOR. Guss F. Abendrofh,

AGE 73 United States Patent ce 2,727,515

Patented Dec. 20, 1955 arranged thereabove. Inside the mandrel 12a is an inner barrel 18 which is rigidly attached to the upper 2,727,575 end of the mandrel by a connection means 19 which may be a threaded coupling or the inner barrel 18 may Q A Z% X E JE 5 be connected to the mandrel 12a by welding. The lower end of the inner barrel 18 is sealed to the mandrel 12a Guss F. Abendroth, Houston, Tex., assignor, by mesne by sealing means 20, such as O-rings. It will be noted assignments, to Esso Research and Engineering Comthat the mandrel 12a and the inner barrel 18 define an P y, Elizabeth, J"! a corporation of Delaware annulus A through which fluid may flow. It will be Application November 8, 1951, Serial No. 255,447 noted in step 1 of that the flow upwardly in the 2 Claims. (Cl. 166-51) is lowered is as indicated by the arrows through the The present invention is directed to a method and annulus A between the cased well bore 11 and the pipe apparatus for depositing granular material in a well bore. or tubing string 21 to which the mandrel 12a is attached More particularly, the invention is directed to a method by means not shown. and apparatus for forming a gravel pack in a cavity in Referring to step 2, it will be noted that the packer a producing formation. 17 has been arranged below the ports 14 and above the The invention may be briefly described as involving 20 ports 15. It will be noted in step 2 that cavity 30 in a tool for depositing granular material in a well bore a producing formation 31 had previously been formed which comprises a mandrel open at each end which is and that the casing 11 is provided with perforations 32 adapted to be connected to a tubing string. The manadjacent the formation 31. drel defines a plurality of spaced apart ports between In step 3 of Fig. l a suspension of finely divided granan upper and lower end of the mandrel with the spaced ular, particulate material is flowed downwardly through apart ports being adjacent an upper end and at a point the tubing or pipe string 21 and thence through the inner on the mandrel no higher than a mid-point thereof. A barrel 18 and into the lower portion of the cavity 30, packer is mounted on the mandrel for closing an upper a bed of granular, particulate material 33 accumulating of said ports on movement of said mandrel with respect therein as shown. The suspension of granular material to the packer when the latter is set. The mandrel is is in a liquid vehicle, such as salt water or oil, and as provided with a stop member below the packer to limit the vehicle deposits the granular material in bed 33 the the travel of the mandrel relative to the packer, in an liquid with some granular material remaining in it flows upward direction. An inner barrel open at each end is upwardly through the annulus A and thence by virtue arranged in the mandrel and is rigidly connected thereto of the position of the packer 17 through the perforaat an upper end The inner barrel is sealed to the man- 35 tions 15 mm the annulus A and outwardly back into the drel at a lower end thereof so that the inner surface annulus A through the ports 14 and thence to the earths of the mandrel and the outer surface of the inner barrel surface through the usual well head equipment.

efine an annulus for flow of fluid therethrough The In step 4 of the method in accordance with my invenflow of fluid through the annulus is controlled by the tion the flow of granular material in the liquid vehicle position of the packer with respect to the upper of the has been terminated and salt water, for example, is then spaced apart ports. flowed downwardly through the tubing or pipe string The invention also involves a method for depositing 21 into the inner barrel 18 causing the washing downgranular material in a cavity in a formation ad acent a wardly of the apparatus of the present invention into Well bore in which a suspension of granular material the gravel Which has been deposited in the lower end and a liquid vehicle is flowed downwardly through a of the well bore, the packer 17 remaining fixed to the pipe or tubing string in the well bore to deposit granucasing 11 and the apparatus 12 moving slidably downlar material therein. After granular material has been wardly therethrough Meanwhile the flow is, as indideposited to a sufiiclent extent in the Well bore, the cated by the arrows, upwardly through the annulus A flow of suspension is terminated and an annulus between and thence through the port 15 into the annulus A and the pipe string and the well bore 18 isolated at a lower then outwardly through the ports 14 into the annulus A point in the well bore against upward flow. Liquid is and thence to the wellhead. then pumped downwardly in the well bore under a pres- In step 5 of the drawing illustrating my invention the sure sufiiciently high to wash the granular material into tubing string 21 is being manipulated upwardly and the cavity while the pipe string is being manipulated downwardly in the cased well bore 11 through the packer upwardly and downwardly in said well bore. 17 while the flow of salt water is continuing downwardly The present invention will be further illustrated by therein through the inner barrel 18 and then outwardly reference to the drawing in which through the ports 32 into the cavity 30 causing the bed Fig. 1 illustrates the steps employed in gravel packing 33 to fill substantially completely the cavity 30. The in accordance with my invention; How of fluid is outwardly into the cavity 30 and thence Figs. 2 and 3 show an embodiment of the apparatus into the formation 31. By virtue of the position of the employed therefor; and packer 17 while washing the granular material into Fig. 2a is a view in elevation illustrating the releasing cavity 30 the ports 14 are closed against flow into the assembly for the packer shown apart from the apparatus annulus A. Also by virtue of the position of the packer of Fig. 2. 17 with respect to the mandrel 12a flow through the Referring now to the drawing and particularly to Fig. 55 ports 15 is also terminated. Since there is a tendency 1, a perforated cased well bore 11 is shown with the for finely divided particulate material to form bridges device generally indicated as 12 being lowered therein. in the well bore on deposition therein and since pres- The device 12 is attached to a tubing or pipe string. sure will not cause granular material to flow, in the The device embodies a mandrel 12a defining upper ports practice of my invention the manipulation of the tubing 14 and lower ports 15. The mandrel 12a is provided 7 or pipe string upwardly and downwardly, as indicated with a stop member 16 above the lower ports 15 to limit in step 5, causes the granular material to wash outthe travel of mandrel 12a with respect to a packer 17 wardly into the cavity 30 and to fill same and to form a granular pack in thecavitySO as well as within the cased well bore 11.

Referring now to Figs. 2 and 3, it will be seen that the mandrel 12a is provided with a collar 13 which allows the mandrel 12a to be connected. to a tool joint which, in turn, may be connected to a tubing string by internal threads 9. The joint 10 is provided with threads 8 which mate with the threads 19 on wash pipe or barrel 18 and allow the latter to be rigidly connected to the joint 10. As illustrated, the mandrel 12a is provided with .a plurality of ports 14 at an upper end thereof and has slidably mounted thereon a packer 17 which may be of the conventional type with swab cups 411 at an upper and a lower end of the packer, collars 41 and a gripping means 42 which may be biased outwardly. The packer means of packer '17 is indicated by the numeral 43 and is expanded outwardly when the gripping means 42 moves into operative position. The mandrel is provided with a stop means 16 which is shown in Fig. 3 as a coupling but this may be an auxiliary stop member arranged on the mandrel 12a at a point below the packer 17 and above the ports which are arranged on the mandrel 12 below a mid-point thereof and preferably adjacent a lower end. The lower end of the mandrel 12a is provided with a tool joint 44 to which may be connected sections of pipe tubing or pipe.

While the present invention has been described and illustrated for use in a cased well bore, it is to be understood that it may be used equally as well in an uncased well bore. The packer 17 is releasably mounted on a mandrel 12a, such as by J-slots 45 and pin 45a, and the like to allow the mandrel 12a to be moved therethrough. While J-slots may be used for convenience, it is to be understood that other releasable means may be employed for mounting the packer 17 on the mandrel 12a.

The nature and objects of the present invention having been completely described and illustrated, what I wish to claim as new and useful and to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A tool for depositing granular particles in a well bore which comprises, in combination, a mandrel open at each end, adapted to be connected to a tubing string, provided with a plurality of spaced apart ports between the upper and lower end of said mandrel, said mandrel being provided with a packer'releasably mounted on an exterior surface of said mandrel, being movable for closing and opening of an upper of said ports on movement of said mandrel with respect to said packer when set, a stop member on said mandrel for restricting upward travel of said mandrel, an inner barrel open at each end rigidly connected thereto at an upper end above an upper of said ports and sealing means in a lower end of said mandrel between said mandrel and said barrel below a lower of said ports for causing a seal thcrebetween, said mandrel and said barrel defining an annulus adapted for flow of fluid therethrough, the flow through the annulus throughsaid ports being controlled by the position of the movable mandrel with respect to said packer.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim l in which the mandrel defines spaced apart ports at an upper end and at a point on the mandrel no higher than at a mid-point thereof.

References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A TOOL FOR DEPOSITING GRANULAR PARTICLES IN A WELL BORE WHICH COMPRISES, IN COMBINATION, A MANDREL OPEN AT EACH END, ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO A TUBING STRING, PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF SPACED APART PORTS BETWEEN THE UPPER AND LOWER END OF SAID MANDREL, SAID MANDREL BEING PROVIDED WITH A PACKER RELEASABLY MOUNTED ON AN EXTERIOR SURFACE OF SAID MANDREL, BEING MOVABLE FOR CLOSING AND OPENING OF AN UPPER OF SAID PORTS ON MOVEMENT OF SAID MANDREL WITH RESPECT TO SAID PACKER WHEN SET, A STOP MEMBER ON SAID MANDREL FOR RESTRICTING UPWARD TRAVEL OF SAID MANDREL, AN INNER BARREL OPEN AT EACH END RIGIDLY CONNECTGED THERETO AT AN UPPER END ABOVE AN UPPER OF SAID PORTS AND SEALING MEANS IN A LOWER END OF SAID MANDREL BETWEEN SAID MANDREL AND SAID BARREL BELOW A LOWER OF SAID PORTS FOR CAUSING A SEAL THEREBETWEEN, SAID MANDREL AND SAID BARREL DEFINING AN ANNULUS ADAPTED FOR FLOW OF FLUID THERETHROUGH, THE FLOW 